If we are rationalists, should not the second thing to do be “ask our not-rationalist close people how they view us, and whether this changed around time T when we started doing things R?” (Yes, their answers will be influenced by sheer unpurified “life”, but much of that “life” also work on us.) And before we ask them, the actual first thing to do would be to look at our other acquaintances and try to remember them around the time T, to see how they changed.
I don’t think this will work, beyond giving an impression of much noise. But since this won’t work, everything more complicated is even less trustworthy.
Why are we even talking about this?
If we are rationalists, should not the second thing to do be “ask our not-rationalist close people how they view us, and whether this changed around time T when we started doing things R?” (Yes, their answers will be influenced by sheer unpurified “life”, but much of that “life” also work on us.) And before we ask them, the actual first thing to do would be to look at our other acquaintances and try to remember them around the time T, to see how they changed.
I don’t think this will work, beyond giving an impression of much noise. But since this won’t work, everything more complicated is even less trustworthy.